My car should hopefully be here in a few weeks but it's been so great to have this rental even if it was a bit expensive. I went a month with no car and it's so nice to just be able to quickly get somewhere and not having to rely upon other people's schedules.

It's been a pretty busy and full week. School started on Monday and it seems to be going good so far. I spent most of the week organizing, reading, planning, and doing online staff development stuff. I haven't met all my kids yet because I won't be pulling kids out for resource classes until Oct. I did meet with 2 other Gifted teachers on Friday which was a huge help. I was able to get my driver's license this week as well- the test was pretty hard but I'm glad I passed it the first time. I was going to try and rent a car since mine doesn't get here until mid Oct but it was almost 800 euros. Crazy!! I also got my iphone set back up which made me happy :) People have been great about inviting me out to dinner- I think I've tried Greek, Thai and Mexican places so far.

Well I had a pretty fun first weekend here in Germany. A coworker and her husband took me out to dinner on Friday night to a local brewhouse. Only 5 towns in Germany brew this type of beer and it kind of felt like a cool, underground thing. Zoigl beer is brewed at communal brewhouses and is brewed in turn, by one of several brewing families in each of the 5 villages, those families then taking it in turn each week to sell the beer at their home. When the beer is on sale, usually over the weekend, a six pointed star is hung out of a window of the house to denote that Zoigl beer is available. They sell it until it's gone. You kind of had to hunt for which place would be open and it took us a while to find the star. We were definitely the only English speakers there! We did try a few different types of German food too to compliment the beer.

Lyddane, Kali and I went out for a girl's night of manicures and sushi.  It was so fun- especially to see how excited Kali was to get her nails and toes done.  It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.  She gets this little sparkle in her brown eyes and flips her hair behind her shoulder like she is a teenager or something.  We took Kali to Target after eating to get her birthday present- she was having a hard time choosing between jewels (as she calls bracelets and necklaces), a purse or shoes.  Finally she choose a sparkly unicorn (or nudicorn as she calls it).  Ah- finally the 3 yr old in her coming out!

Well I've been back in Dallas since August 7th and man has it been busy!! The first day I got home, I started filling out my paperwork (like an 80 page binder full of papers!). By Saturday, I overnighted all my passport paperwork. Next, I had to do a complete background check with fingerprints, get a physical/TB test, and meet with my boss in Frisco to get released from my current contract. Amazingly all that was done by Tuesday, the 11th and I sent all that stuff in. By Thursday, I had received my travel orders from the Dept. of Defense- which makes it truly official!! Once I got those orders I could start the next part of my move- which is trying to get my household goods and car shipped and book my travel. Today I was able to schedule my pack up for Wed. and book my flight to Germany. By next Tuesday, I'll be a resident of Germany :) I'm having a few issues with my car getting shipped over- since I still owe money on the car, I have to have a letter from my bank giving me permission to take it over. The bank I have it with denied me so I'm having to refinance my car with USAA (thank God for companies who understand and will work with the military!). It takes a while to get that transferred and I don't think it'll be done by the time I leave next Monday. My sis should be able to drop it off for me once I have all the paperwork even if I'm gone. So all in all, even though I've been running around like crazy, talking on the phone a ton, I'm almost done and it hasn't actually been that bad. The Lord is just really blessing this time!



It's been so great to be home even if it is just for a short time. It's amazing how quickly you can just adapt back to the life even though I'd been gone for two months. It's nice to be able to drive again, have 10 pm Target runs and eat with such a variety. I think I've seriously eaten every genre (? is that the right word) of food since I've been home- thai, american, sushi, chick fil-a, cuban and mucho mexican! I've also watched a ton of movies- Julie & Julia, 500 days of Summer, The Time Traveler's Wife, GI Joe. I guess dinner and a movie are what I do with my friends :) I've had a great time hanging out with all my friends and family. This is going to be the toughest part of my move. My lovely sis is letting me stay with her and I've loved all my Tia time! Brittnee, Jacob and I hung out last week. They are great at pulling staples and even helped me pack up my classroom! Of course I had to promise them a pool date after that so we went over to Leslie's to hang out. Taylor even came up to Dallas so I got to visit with her too.

Ok- running up to Little Elm to meet with the movers and finish packing up my classroom!

Well, this summer has certainly been eventful, awesome and memorable! I'm so excited about the new chapter in my life that God has been orchestrating and am really looking forward to moving to Grafenwoehr. I'm leaving for Texas tomorrow and I can't wait to see everyone and spend time hugging and squeezing my precious nieces and nephew. And eating lots of Mexican food and Chick Fil-a :)


My time with MCYM has been great. The organization and people who work for MCYM are so awesome! God has shown me so much about himself and it's been powerful to see Him at work in the lives of people regardless of denomination or location. I think I can put God in a box sometimes and it's been so freeing to know that God is accomplishing great things, through great people everywhere! Serving as a leader at camp this summer in Italy was awesome! I loved the chance to build relationships with these teenage girls and share the love of Christ with them. There is an MCYM group on the base that I'll be at in the fall, so I will most likely volunteer with them once I get settled in.


Sean and Mary Campbell have been my gracious hosts this summer. I've lived with them for the past two months and I know they will be glad to get some privacy back at their house! I've traveled with them, watched Army Wives with them, worked along side them and really just enjoyed their friendship. Thanks for everything Sean and Mary! I'm so glad that our friendship will be able to continue over the next few years that we are in Germany together- even if I am an hour or so away. They have a baby due in October so you know I'll be in Ansbach visiting so I can get my baby fix and be a surrogate "Tia"!

What it's all about!!

Okay I've got some awesome news to share! All of this has happened since last Friday and it's been a whirlwind of a week.

About 7 years ago I applied to teach with the Dept of Defense schools (DoDDS) and just never heard from anyone. I was so bummed because I really wanted to live overseas at the time and since I grew up around military I figured it would be an easy way to live in Europe. It is extremely difficult to get a job with DoDDS and usually you are placed in Asia for the first few years if you even do get a job. They pay really well, have great benefits, a lot of teachers stay in their jobs forever and there is spousal preference that trumps any civilian coming in. I have always kept my application up to date but never really pursued it by sending my resume out to principals, etc. due to working on my masters, etc. and just not feeling like the Lord was leading me to really pursue anything. All summer I kept thinking, I should send out my resumes to principals just in case while I'm here but never did.

Last Friday, I got an email from the Bavaria District Superintendent for DoDDS saying there was a gifted and talented position open at the base I'm on right now in Germany!!! The job is pretty much exactly like the one I currently have in Frisco (which is a support/ pull out teacher for Gifted and Talented). There is actually a GT position at another base about an hour from here as well so I'd be interviewing for both of them. I have not sent out any resumes and the superintendent didn't even know I was over here for the summer. I was completely, completely stunned by the email. After 7 years with my application in the system, I finally get an email for the exact job I would want on the base I've been at all summer (but wasn't supposed to be). I literally cried for half of the day on Friday, just amazed by God and his faithfulness and kindness. This is exactly what I've always wanted career wise and especially for it to be in a place that I'm now comfortable with and have friends is just awesome. I love the ministry with MCYM I've gotten to do throughout the summer and I'd be able to continue to build relationships with the high school girls and volunteer with them. It's just completely amazing- I could not have planned this if I tried!

It is for this upcoming school year though which makes it a little crazy because that is like in three weeks! I had a phone interview with the superintendent on Tuesday and he said he would let me know by the end of the week if I get offered the job. I feel very at peace with whatever decision is made. I know if I go back to Texas, I have a job I love in Frisco, great friends and family nearby. If I get the job here, I will be so excited too, ready to start an adventure living overseas in Germany. God has just made himself so real to me in the last few weeks and I just want to be in His will for my life no matter what that is.

We walked into Wildberg a few times. It's a cute little town.
One of my favorite parts of the week was a cookout we had one night. We made this stuff called stick bread by putting dough and cooking it over a fire. I filled mine with Nutella and it was oh so good :)
Another day a group of girls and I drove into a little town called Calw. It was so beautiful and picturesque. We did a little shopping and then stopped to get a cappuccino.